Running/Living in Peoria IL

dotato wrote:

I'm up for a second interview in Peoria, IL and would like any relevant input on the area. I'm 39, a 2:30 marathoner, wife, four kids age 1 - 8. Wife and I both have master degrees, me MPA, she MA in Educational Leadership. Expected household income will be in the 80-90k range (she's stay at home for a few more years). Christian, so looking for a church with solid teaching/small groups.

Again, any relevant input is appreciated. Running groups, where to buy a house, quality of youth sports, YMCA? Local gyms, etc.

Well, I know the following about Peoria, IL:

1) The best church in town is right next to Caterpillar.

2) The best place to eat is right next to Caterpillar.

3) The best...ah, you get the joke.

4) You can find enough money on the street to put a down payment on a house in Peoria...a few years ago it was the cheapest area of the country to buy a house.

Sorry to not be helpful. Just had to make those little jokes.

In all honestly I have a friend who has a family member who lives in Peoria. I can try to get some info if you are interested.

Good luck in the interview.

Flagpole Willy wrote:

In all honestly I have a friend who has a family member who lives in Peoria. I can try to get some info if you are interested.

Good luck in the interview.

Yes, I would be interested. Thanks.

The town is pretty nice, and has a pretty vibrant running scene. You will likely be heads above most runners in the area, but there are a few guys living and training who are sub-2:25 and a few more who are sub-2:50. Pretty good races in the Steamboat Classic 4-mile in June and the IVS Half-Marathon in September.

The city itself is small but not too small. You can get from one side to the other in 15 minutes typically. Many of the nicer homes are being built on the north side, which is in the Dunlap School District (a good thing). I'm not too familiar with any churches in particular.

There are a few gyms worth checking out. I've never been a member of any myself but there is the Riverplex downtown, and the Clubs at River City on the north side.

Hope that helps a little.

Peoria is a dead town in a dead state.

Go west young man.

The only thing I know about Peoria is Big Al's. That would almost be enough to make me move there.

Isn't the Peoria town flower the Clogged Artery. I never seen more fatties, except in Chicagodump.

peoria is a pretty standard midwest city.

the living is cheap, one of the cheapest places in the country.

there are very nice parts of peoria (peoria heights, etc.) and some very shitty areas that should be avoided, but that can be said for any largeish city.

it isnt small, the population is about 120,000 or so and about 250-300k in the surrounding area.

the running scene is ok if you are willing to work to get immersed in it. steamboat is a good race. there are other good ones nearby. as far as running clubs and the like illinois valley striders (IVS) is where to look for that. there are some good runners around, enough to have people to run with if you seek them out. broe lives there and he's pretty accessable from everything i've heard. i'm not sure about parks or anything to run in but I know people who have run there a long time that i can put you in touch with if you want to know more.

as far as other family type activies you have all the basics as well as the illinois river and the nearbyy mackinaw river, both of which give good opportunities for fishing, canoeing, boating etc.

all in all i'd say if you worked things right and looked around for what you wanted peoria could be a very nice place for you and your family.

good luck.

I do not live in peoria but I grew up about 45 minutes down the road. My dad works at OSF there in peoria and so therefore I have spent a lot of time there. With regards to the running scene...it is a pretty good one. Like a previous poster said there are quite a few sub-elite runners just below that 2:30 mark. IVS is a great club to get involved with and the Riverplex is a great place to workout at. I'm actually on my way out the door now to go run there. It's a really great place to workout at. Anyways, I have a lot more info that I'll reply about in a few hours but as I said, gotta run. Overall peoria is a great place though. Definitely check it out.

I currently live in Peoria and love it. Hope you get the job, you'll like it here too.

I agree with what everyone is saying. Look into the Illinois Valley Striders as far as running clubs and the Riverplex for a place to workout. I think the running scene is pretty decent here. Our running club has spring-summer-early fall coached workouts twice a week (once on the track, another doing some sort of strength workout). There are tons of church's covering all religions. You won't have a problem finding one. Northwoods Community church is one of the larger and definitely more well known church's around Peoria.

With your age/income I would also recommend buying a house north of Peoria.

Good luck again! Hope to meet you some day.

Oh yeah, what town are you coming from?

Stevo wrote:

With your age/income I would also recommend buying a house north of Peoria.

Good luck again! Hope to meet you some day.

Oh yeah, what town are you coming from?

Thanks, is Chilicothe too far north, I'd be working close to where they are thinking of building the museum? I'm coming from south eastern illinois. I've been racing in Illinois for a few years now, I was second at Delevan Frostbite in 2005 so I'm familiar with the area. I think its a great city.

how about if I was looking for an older home, say 1910-1930 time, would those be found in northern Peoria. Any tips on a good real estate broker?

I have lived in the area for about 10 years after growing up elsewhere. It isn't paradise but it isn't bad. I agree with what others have said. There are a ton of churches. Morton is another nice suburb a quick 10-15 minute drive from downtown. (And we'll see if the museum actually gets built)

I really can't stand anything Flagpole writes, but it gets old hearing about Cat and Big Yellow. But as an employer in this area, they are hard to beat.

If you want to leave an email I can be more specific.

I grew up in Peoria and graduated from Bradley.

I think it was a great place to live. The cost of living is low, the running scene is respectable for such a small city (the place where I live now is 8 x as big and is on par), and for a simple redneck like me who isn't totally into the cultural side of life it had everything I needed and desired.

I live in a much bigger city now, and have lived across the midwest and southwest, but I would go back to Peoria in a heartbeat.

There are some great places to run in the town, there is the Steamboat Classic, and it's in close enough proximity to enough of the major cities of the midwest that if you get the itch to either race or hang out someplace larger it can be had with a short drive.

IVS is a great running club for a small city. My family and I have been members for 20 years at this point, and there are plenty of opportunities to get involved.

You aren't going to find an old house on the north side. You could move out to "the country" or live in one of the smaller towns that are in the area. You have to watch the school districts when you get out of the city, though. Dunlap is very good, but Chillicothe IVC (where you can go depending on which side of a neighborhood you live on) is not.

There are MANY churches in town of varying sizes and denominations. Depending on what you are interested in, I'm sure there's something to fit your needs.

Peoria gets a lot of grief it doesn't deserve, as long as you don't go in expecting many of the perks of a larger, more culturally oriented city. It's a simple town for simple rednecks like me (I know I've said that, but I want to reiterate the point), so just realize what you are getting yourself into, and you won't be dissappointed.

Chillicothe will require a bit of a drive to get to downtown Peoria. North Peoria/Dunlap area is growing but there are few if any old houses in that area. Dunlap is a great school district, but I'm biased since I teach there. The running community is strong and close knit, and we welcome newcomers with open arms. Check out ivs.org for the club's latest info and don't be shy about introducing yourself on the board there.

tim broe is from there

A certain USATF LDR official lives on NE Glen Oak Ave, just off the Steamboat course. I don't know if that's a good thing, or not.

Stevo wrote:There are tons of church's covering all religions. You won't have a problem finding one. Northwoods Community church is one of the larger and definitely more well known church's around Peoria.

Right street, but not exactly near the Steamboat course.

[/quote]

Thanks, is Chilicothe too far north, I'd be working close to where they are thinking of building the museum? I'm coming from south eastern illinois. I've been racing in Illinois for a few years now, I was second at Delevan Frostbite in 2005 so I'm familiar with the area. I think its a great city.

how about if I was looking for an older home, say 1910-1930 time, would those be found in northern Peoria. Any tips on a good real estate broker?[/quote]

Your name rings a bell...I paced a buddy the year you got 2nd in the St. Louis marathon. You are a heck of a runner.

Caterpillar is right next to the "proposed museum" (it's just in a hole in the ground now).

I do in fact know of a good real estate broker. My dad has been an agent in Peoria for over 30 years. If you do end up moving this way, I can get you some more info to get in touch w/ him to find the exact house you are looking for.

Drop me an email if you have any more questions.

Matt